Method and apparatus for transfer lamination

ABSTRACT

A method for producing a smooth coating on a substrate includes applying a release coating to a first side of a film, applying an application layer to said first side of said film over said release coating, bonding said first side of said film to a first substrate, applying a printable coating to a second side of said film while said first side of said film is bonded to said first substrate, and removing said film from said first substrate leaving said application layer deposited on said first substrate and said printable coating on said second side of said film.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/582,196, filed on Mar. 2, 2011, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/309,477, filed on Mar. 2, 2010,and further relates to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/186,531,filed on Jun. 12, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/239,540, filed on Sep. 3, 2009, all of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus fortransfer lamination and more specifically to a method and apparatus inwhich a transfer film is coated for a subsequent use during a transferlamination process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Transfer lamination is a process by which a layer of material is appliedto a substrate. Generally, transfer lamination involves bonding atransfer film having an application layer, e.g., a metallized layer, toa paper substrate, stripping the film from the substrate leaving theapplication layer, and then applying a coating to the layer tofacilitate printing. As will be appreciated, this process typicallyinvolves multiple, separate steps.

In particular, the transfer film is coated in an initial step with abreakaway layer that allows the film to be stripped from the substratewhile leaving the application layer and the breakaway layer on thesubstrate. After the film is coated, the application layer is applied,e.g., the film is metallized. Once the film has been metallized, anadhesive is applied and the film is then bonded to the substrate and thefilm/substrate is cured typically in an oven. Once removed from theoven, the film is stripped away and the substrate is coated and placedagain in the oven to complete the process.

A drawback to this method is that the breakaway layer is applied to thetransfer film in a step separate from the transfer lamination process.As will be apparent, each manufacturing step has associated costs and itis generally desirable to reduce such costs through a simplified processwith as few manufacturing steps as reasonably necessary.

Moreover, the film used in the transfer of the application layer istypically discarded, or reused only a limited number of times, after itis stripped from the substrate due to the costs of reuse/recycling.

Used transfer film also presents disposal and recycling problems as suchfilms are generally manufactured from polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate, (“PET”), which are not easily recycled/remanufactured. Inparticular, plastic films are difficult to remanufacture in thatindividual characteristics of potentially remanufactured products varyconsiderably. Likewise, the variety of extruded resins in such filmspose significant recycling challenges.

These challenges are evidenced by the fact that presently only about4.5% of all waste plastic film is recycled in the United States andplastic film makes up approximately 3.1% of all landfilled municipalsolid waste. In view of the above, it is desirable to have a transferfilm that can be used a large number of times.

Moreover, is also generally desirable to create two usable end products,e.g., the metallized paper substrate and the used film, during a singleinline lamination process, regardless of the specific end use of thefilm. In particular, it is desirable for used film to have multiplepotential uses including, for example, use of the film as box wrap, giftwrap and the like, in addition to reuse in a subsequent laminationprocess. As will be appreciated, this maximizes resources and providessignificant manufacturing advantages. Such benefits are unattainablewith known processes.

It is also desirable to coat a transfer film for a subsequent use inwhich the film is embossed or printed. This provides a great deal offlexibility in the end use of a used transfer film again maximizingresources and providing a significant environmental benefit.

As such, a need exists for a method and apparatus for transferlamination which provides an ease of manufacture and cost savingscurrently unavailable with known processes. A need also exists for atransfer lamination process that does not require the disposal and/orrecycling of a transfer film after a limited number of laminations. Asdiscussed in detail herein, the present invention addresses these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for transfer lamination.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination which provides an ease ofmanufacture and cost savings currently unavailable with known processes.

It is another object of the present invention to a provide method andapparatus for transfer lamination in which a transfer film need not bediscarded or recycled after a single lamination.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination which provides an ease ofmanufacture and cost savings through the inline coating of a transferfilm for reuse while it is in use in a transfer lamination process.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for transfer lamination in which a transfer film does not needto be discarded or recycled after a single lamination as it is coatingfor reuse during a transfer lamination process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for transfer lamination in which a breakaway layer may beeasily applied to a transfer film.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination in which a breakaway layer iseasily applied to a transfer film through an inline process in which thefilm is bonded to a substrate prior to application of the breakawaylayer.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination in which a breakaway layer isapplied to a transfer film through an inline process in which the filmis bonded to a substrate prior to application of the breakaway layerresulting in a breakaway layer superior to that produced through knownoffline processes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for transfer lamination that provides a significantenvironmental benefit not available with known processes.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination that provides a significantenvironmental benefit by facilitating multiple potential reuses of aused transfer film.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination in which a transfer film can becoated for multiple reuses.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination in which a transfer film can becoated for subsequent use as box wrap.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a methodand apparatus for transfer lamination in which multiple coatings areapplied to a transfer film inline during a transfer lamination process.

An embodiment of the inventive method for producing a smooth coating ona substrate includes applying a release coating to a first side of afilm, applying an application layer to the first side of the film overthe release coating, bonding the first side of the film to a firstsubstrate, applying a printable coating to a second side of the filmwhile the first side of the film is bonded to the first substrate, andremoving the film from the first substrate leaving the application layerdeposited on the first substrate and the printable coating on the secondside of the film.

In another embodiment, a method for preparing a substrate for electronicprinting involves applying a release coating to a first side of a film,applying an application layer to the first side of the film over therelease coating, bonding the first side of the film to a firstsubstrate, applying a printable coating to a second side of the filmwhile the first side of the film is bonded to the first substrate,curing the film and the substrate in an oven while the film is bonded tothe first substrate and after the second coating is applied to thesecond side of the film, and removing the film from the substrateleaving the metallized layer deposited on the first substrate and thesecond coating on the second side of the film. The application of theprintable coating is performed as an inline part of a transferlamination process.

In yet another embodiment, a system for transfer lamination of asubstrate includes a bonding station for bonding a metallized first sideof a film to a first substrate, a first coating station for applying aprintable coating to a second side of the film while the film is bondedto the first substrate, a curing station for curing the bonding film andfirst substrate, and a stripping station for removing the film havingthe coating on the second side of the film from the first substrate.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent in light of the detailed description ofthe best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a graphical illustration of a prior art transfer laminationprocess in which a transfer film is first coated and metallized and thenused in a lamination process.

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic diagram of an apparatus for transferlamination in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for transfer lamination inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of an apparatus for transferlamination in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, known processes for transfer lamination involvethree general steps. The first of these steps, labeled with referencenumber 10, is to coat the film used in the lamination. In particular,the film is coated with a breakaway layer that allows it to be removedor stripped from the substrate after the lamination has occurred. Thisstep is performed offline, that is, it is not part of the main transferlamination process that results in the end product. Moreover, only oneside of the film is coated in this initial step.

After a side of the film has been coated with the breakaway layer,typically a polymer such as an acrylate or urethane, the film ismetallized. The metallization step is also offline from the transferlamination process and involves placing the coated film in a relativelylarge metallizer where metals are vacuum deposited on the coated film.

Once the coated film has been metallized, it is bonded to a substrate ina third step, represented by reference number 30. In this step, thecoated and metallized film is placed within a transfer laminationapparatus and the film is bonded via pressurized bonding with anadhesive to the substrate. Once bonded, the film/substrate typically arecured typically in an oven. The film is then stripped away from thesubstrate when it emerges from the oven leaving the metal and breakawaylayer on the substrate. The metallized substrate may then be coated andcured again in the oven resulting in the end product.

As stated, the above-recited steps of coating the film with a breakawaylayer, metallizing the coated film and then using the metallized, coatedfilm in a transfer lamination process, are separate from one another. Aswill be readily appreciated, the greater number of steps in themanufacture of a product, the higher the associated manufacturing costsand degree of manufacturing difficulty.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the inventive apparatus 40 combines the steps ofapplying the breakaway coating to a transfer film and using the coatedfilm in a lamination process to provide an ease of manufacture and costreduction heretofore unknown in the art. This is accomplished throughthe depicted apparatus 40 which includes a transfer film roll 50 and asubstrate roll 60 which are unwound via motors in directions A and Brespectively. The transfer film 70 is unwound from the transfer filmroll 50 simultaneously with substrate 80 as it is unwound from thesubstrate roll 60.

The transfer film 70 has been coated with a breakaway layer on a firstside which is to be bonded to the substrate 80. The film 70 has alsobeen previously metallized in a separate process. For the presentdiscussion, the film is described as being new, i.e., no side has beenpreviously coated with a breakaway layer. Alternatively, however, thebreakaway later present on the first side could also be the result ofthe inventive process, that is, the film may have been previously usedand inline coated as described herein.

As the substrate 80 is unwound and travels in direction A, anadhesive/glue is applied by an applicator 90. The adhesive allows thefilm 70 and substrate 80 to be securely bonded. After the application ofthe adhesive, the film 70 encounters an idler roller 100, which changesthe path of the film and guides it toward a bonding station.

In particular, the film 70 and substrate 80 are bonded through pressurebonding which is accomplished by rollers 110. Although rollers aredepicted, it will be apparent that other means of bonding whetherpressurized or not may be employed including the use of a pressurizingchamber instead of rollers.

Once the transfer film 70 has been bonded to the substrate 80, a firstintermediate product 120 is formed. This intermediate product 120includes the transfer film 70 with the substrate 80 bonded to the firstside of the film 70. A second opposite side of the transfer film 130remains uncoated.

As shown, this second, uncoated side 130 is then passed through agravure coating station 140. At the gravure station 140 a roller runningin a coating bath (not shown) effectively deposits a coating onto theuncoated side 130 as it passes between the coating roller and a pressureroller (not shown). The gravure coating station 140 applies a breakawaylayer 150 to the uncoated side 130 eliminating the need to coat the side130 in a separate step prior to reuse in the present lamination process.

The inline coating of the uncoated side 130 of the film 70 is animportant aspect of the present invention. By providing a breakawaylayer 150 to the transfer film 70 during the lamination process, anormally separate manufacturing step is avoided facilitating theconvenient, cost-effective reuse of the film 70. This simplified,streamlined process provides a cost savings and ease of manufacture thatis presently unknown in the art.

Moreover, it has been found that the inline coating of intermediateproduct 120, i.e., the film 70 bonded to the substrate 80 is superior tooffline coating. In particular, it is easier to apply a breakaway layer150 to a film 70 that is supported by a relatively rigid substrate 80than it is to coat an unbonded flexible film. Applying a breakaway layerto the bonded intermediate product 120 results in a potentially moreuniform layer as well due to this enhanced rigidity.

The simplified, cost effective manufacturing process increases theprobability that the film 70 will be reused multiple times as the inlineapplication of the breakaway layer is convenient and results in apotentially better, more uniform layer to be metallized.

While the present invention contemplates use of a gravure process, itwill be appreciated that other coating methods for the inlineapplication of the breakaway layer may be employed. Such methods mayinclude reverse roll coating and the like as long as they caneffectively apply the breakaway layer.

Moreover, the gravure coating station 140 can be used to apply othertypes of coatings depending upon the desired end use of the film. Thatis, the inventive process can be used to create films for end uses otherthan reuse in a subsequent lamination process.

In particular, instead of applying a breakaway layer 150, the gravurestation can be configured to apply a coating having a specific color.For example, a permanent, solid white coating can be applied to the filmfacilitating its use for decorative purposes such as box wrap. As willbe readily appreciated, coatings having colors other than white may beapplied depending on the desired colorway or design.

It is also envisioned, that printable coatings can be applied to thefilm such that it can be used in a subsequent printing process. Indeed,the chemistry of such coatings may be varied depending on the type ofprinting to be carried out on the film. These print processes mayinclude flexo or roto gravure, Indigo® and laser printing.

The ability to coat a transfer film for uses other than reuse in asubsequent lamination process is an important aspect of the presentinvention. As will be appreciated, this provides flexibility, maximizesresources and provides significant manufacturing advantages. Asignificant environmental benefit is also achieved through the inventiveprocess and apparatus.

Returning now to FIG. 2, once past the gravure station 140, the nowbreakaway-coated intermediate product 120 encounters an idler roller100, which directs the product 130 toward the oven 160. The intermediateproduct 130 enters a first zone 170 of the oven 160 where it is cured ata preselected temperature for a specific time period. The product 120 isthen directed toward a stripping station 180 where the now pre-coatedtransfer film 190 is removed from the substrate leaving a substrate thatincludes the film's breakaway layer and metal layer bonded to itssurface. This second intermediate product 200 is then directed toward acoating station 210 where it is coated to facilitate printing.

Once this coating has been applied, the second intermediate product 200is directed toward the oven 160 where it is placed in a second zone tofurther cure. The result of this second curing process is the endproduct 230, which is collected on a roll 230.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the inventive process includes several key steps.The first of these steps is to metallize a first side of a transferfilm, as indicated by reference number 300. As discussed above, prior tometallization, the film has been coated with a breakaway layer. In theensuing discussion, it is contemplated that the film to be metallizedhas been pre-coated with the breakaway layer as part of the inventiveprocess. In other words, the film has been previously used and precoatedin an earlier transfer lamination process. As will be appreciated, ifthe film is new and unused a first offline breakaway coating will benecessary.

The metallized film is then bonded to a substrate, generally paper, in asecond step 310. Importantly, a breakaway layer is then applied to asecond side of the transfer film at step 320 so that, as discussedabove, the film may be easily and inexpensively reused.

The bonded film/substrate is then cured at step 330. This process isgenerally accomplished through the use of a multi-zone oven.

Once the film/substrate has been cured, the film is removed from thesubstrate at step 340. At this point, the substrate is coated with thebreakaway layer and the metal layer. The film with its pre-coated side,can then be reused beginning with metallization step 300. Optionally,the substrate may be coated for printing in an additional, subsequentstep and then cured again in the oven.

Moreover, it may also be possible to reuse the previously used side ofthe film. That is, one could strip the remaining material off the usedside and recoat it with a breakaway layer. Alternatively, one couldsimply apply a breakaway layer over any residual material on thepreviously used side.

Turning now to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment of the presentapparatus 400 is depicted. This embodiment, while similar to thatdepicted in FIG. 2, includes multiple gravure stations and ovens andfacilitates the application of multiple coatings on a transfer film.

In this embodiment, the film 410 is adhered to the substrate 420 in aprocess much like that described above in connection with the embodimentshown in FIG. 2. The film/substrate intermediate product 425 then passesby a first gravure station 430 in which a coating is applied to the filmside of the intermediate product 425. The film/substrate then passesthrough a first oven 440 to cure.

After emerging from the first oven 440, the film side of theintermediate product is coated again at a second gravure station 450.The film/substrate is then passed through a second oven 460.

The second oven 460 and second gravure station 450 are an importantaspect of the present invention as they allow multiple coatings to beplaced on the transfer film. This, in turn, allows for a wide range ofpotential end uses of the film. For example, the film could be coatedwith a breakaway coating at the first gravure station and then anembossable coating may be applied at the second gravure station 450,thereby creating an embossable transfer film which could be embossedwith a holographic design prior to metallization.

Referring back to FIG. 4, after the film/substrate emerges from thesecond oven 460, the transfer film, now with two coatings, is strippedand would about spool 470. The metallized substrate then passes througha third gravure station 480 where it receives a coating that facilitatesprinting on the metallized surface and into a third oven 490 for a finalcure. The metallized substrate is the wound about spool 500.

In the present example, the end products are a metallized substratewhich is ready for printing and a transfer film that has two coatings onit and may be used for a variety of purposes depending on the coatings.

In addition to the above, it is also possible to provide one of thegravure stations with a printing head so that the film may be printed onduring the transfer lamination process. For example, the second gravurestation 450 could be equipped with a printing head so that it can printon the transfer film after it has received a color coating at the firstgravure station 430. In this configuration, the second gravure station450 can be used to print a corporate logo or other decorative design ona colored film.

Although the embodiment in FIG. 4 is depicted with three gravurestations and ovens, other configurations are possible in which more thanthree stations/ovens are employed depending on the desiredcharacteristics of the end product created from the transfer film.

In sum, the present invention is a method and apparatus for transferlamination which, through the inline coating of a transfer film,provides an ease of manufacture, flexibility and cost savings currentlyunavailable with known processes. The inventive method and apparatusalso does not necessitate the disposal and/or recycling of a transferfilm after a limited number of uses and provides an easily applied andpotentially superior breakaway coating.

As indicated above, in addition to, or alternative to applying abreakaway coating to the second side of a transfer film after it hasbeen bonded to a substrate, other coatings may be applied to the exposedsecond side surface of the film after it has been bonded to thesubstrate to render the film, once stripped from the substrate as thefinal step in a transfer lamination process, suitable for various otherend uses. For example, in an embodiment, a printable or print-receptivecoating may be applied to the exposed, second side surface of the filmat a gravure station or other inline coating station while the film isbonded to the substrate, and then cured in an oven, prior to strippingthe film, in order to advantageously render the coating ultra-smooth forsubsequent use in printing and electronic applications. As used herein,printable coating means a coating configured to receive any type ofprinting known in the art, including, but not limited to, digital,inkjet, gravure, offset, or other printing. Moreover, the printing maybe a metal or dielectric (e.g., conductive and non-conductive pathways),as discussed in detail hereinafter. In an embodiment, the printablecoating may be one of a clay coating, acrylic coating, nitrocellulose(nitro) coating, polyvinyl coating, urethane coating and/or PET basesolution coating.

After the coating is applied to the second side surface of the film andcured, and once the film is stripped from the substrate as a final stepin the transfer lamination process, thereby depositing the metallizedlayer from the first side of the film on the substrate, the second sidesurface of the film with the printable coating may then be laminated toa paperboard or other substrate to transfer the smooth, printablecoating to such substrate.

Importantly, application of the printable coating to the film, as aninline part of the transfer lamination process, while the first side ofthe film is adhered to and supported by the relatively rigid substrate,provides for improved control of the film coating process. Moreover,application of the coating to the smooth, non-porous film produces anultra-smooth and/or high gloss printable coating that can then betransferred to almost any substrate once the film is stripped from thesubstrate used in the transfer lamination process, includingtopographically rough substrates. Indeed, by applying the coating to thesecond side of the film while the film is supported by the transferlamination substrate, film elongation due to high heat (such as duringoven curing), chain welts, curls, cockles, wrinkles, worming, andbagginess can be reduced or eliminated, thereby achieving a muchsmoother and glossier coating than has heretofore been possible. Asindicated above, this smooth, printable coating may then be easilytransferred to another substrate for use in high resolution printingapplications.

In particular, the method of the present invention therefore facilitatesthe application of ultra-smooth, high gloss, printable coatings toalmost any substrate, regardless of its surface roughness. This is instark contrast to existing cast coating methods, which are limited inthe substrates on which smooth, printable coatings may be achieved. Inparticular, known cast coating methods are not suitable for roughsubstrates, as a smooth, high gloss finish is difficult to produce. Ithas been discovered, however, that coating the second side surface of atransfer film with a printable coating, as an inline part of a transferlamination process, while the first side surface is bonded to asubstrate, produces a very smooth, high gloss, printable coating on thefilm that can then be transferred to almost any substrate, regardless ofits surface topography.

In an embodiment, it is contemplated that various dyes or pigments maybe added to the coating prior to applying the coating to the second sideof the transfer film, in order to achieve a smooth, high-gloss,printable coating of almost any desired color. Moreover, the opacity ofthe coating can be adjusted in process, which may be desirable where thecoating and film are intended to be used as a final, integrated productsuch as for window signs, posters, packaging and the like (rather thanthe film being merely used as a coating carrier and transfer medium).

Importantly, the method of the present invention eliminates the use oflatex, aluminum, aluminum salts, zinc, zinc sulfates aluminum sulfates,magnesium sulfates and other carboxal groups which are often necessaryto achieve smooth coatings utilizing cast coating methods. Inparticular, rather than using these additives, the smooth texture of theprintable coating is achieved by applying the generally additive-freecoating to the smooth, second side surface of the transfer film while itis bonded to the transfer lamination substrate, stripping the film withthe smooth, printable coating from the transfer lamination substrate,and then transferring the smooth, printable coating from the second sideof the film to another substrate. After applying the smooth, printablecoating to a paperboard or other substrate, digital, inkjet, gravure,offset, or other printing may be applied atop the coating.

It is further envisioned that electronic circuits and/or dielectriccoatings (e.g., conductive and non-conductive pathways) may also beprinted or otherwise applied to the substrate atop the smooth, printablecoating once the coating is transferred from the second side of the filmto the substrate, by any means known in the art. In contrast toconventional printing for optical viewing purposes, printed electronicsrequire much more precision and a much smoother substrate surface. Inparticular, higher resolution and smaller structures are necessary inprinted electronics, because they directly affect circuit density andfunctionality (especially transistors). A similar requirement holds forthe precision with which the layers are printed on top of one another(layer to layer registration).

As discussed above, the present invention facilitates the application ofan ultra-smooth, printable coating for electronic printing and the like,on almost any substrate, regardless of substrate surface roughness. Thishas heretofore not been possible with existing methods. This allows fora wider array of substrates to be used in printed electronics and otherhigh resolution printing.

While the present application has heretofore been described inconnection with the application of smooth printable coatings topaperboard substrates using a transfer film from a transfer laminationprocess, it is contemplated that the smooth, printable coating may beapplied to any substrate such as, for example, flexible substratesincluding paper, foil, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This allowsflexible circuits and the like to be produced for use in, for example,radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, monitoring, data storage,display and visual effects, toys and other applications. In particular,the smooth coating method of the present invention, and subsequentprinting of electronic circuits, can be utilized to produce near fieldcommunication (NFC) antennas (including Horn or diapole antennas), NFCprinted tags, labels and other printed circuitry, NDEF (NFC dataexchange format) circuits, UHF (RFID tags and labels; ultra-highfrequency) and SHF (super-high frequency tags and labels). In anembodiment, the method of the present invention may also be used toadjust the specular glass for use in photosensitive receptors.

In an embodiment, a release coating may first be applied to the secondside surface of the film prior to applying the printable coating, sothat the coating can subsequently be transferred from the second sidesurface of the film to another substrate, as discussed above.Alternatively, in some embodiments, after the first side of the film isbonded to the substrate, a surface treatment may be applied to thesecond side of the film in order to facilitate adhesion of the secondcoating to the second side surface of the film. In certain embodiments,the surface treatment may include corona or plasma treatment of thesecond side surface to obtain better adherence of solvent andwater-based coatings to the film.

As indicated above, in various embodiments, the coatings may either beutilized in connection with a release layer that is first applied, sothat the coatings may be transferred from the film to another substrate,or permanently applied to the film where the film and coating areintended to be utilized as a unitary material in various downstreamapplications, such as in product packaging, advertising materials andthe like.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to thedetailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of theinvention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof.

Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to theparticular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, butthat the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scopeof this disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for producing a smooth coating on asubstrate, said method comprising the steps of: applying a releasecoating to a first side of a film; applying an application layer to saidfirst side of said film over said release coating; bonding said firstside of said film to a first substrate; applying a printable coating toa second side of said film while said first side of said film is bondedto said first substrate; and removing said film from said firstsubstrate leaving said application layer deposited on said firstsubstrate and said printable coating on said second side of said film.2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:transferring said printable coating from said second side of said filmto a second substrate.
 3. The method according to claim 2, furthercomprising the step of: curing said printable coating in an oven whilesaid film is bonded to said first substrate.
 4. The method according toclaim 3, wherein: said application layer is a metallized layer.
 5. Themethod according to claim 4, wherein: said printable coating is one of aclay coating, acrylic coating, nitrocellulose coating, polyvinylcoating, urethane coating or PET base solution coating.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 5, wherein: said substrate is one of a paperboard,foil or PET substrate.
 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein: saidprintable coating includes one of a dye and a pigment.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 5, further comprising the step of: printing anelectronic circuit on said printable clay coating after said printableclay coating is transferred to said second substrate.
 9. The methodaccording to claim 8, further comprising the step of: prior to applyingsaid printable coating to said second side of said film, applying asecond release coating to said second side of said film.
 10. The methodaccording to claim 5, wherein: application of said printable coating tosaid second side of said film is performed as an inline part of atransfer lamination process.
 11. A method for preparing a substrate forelectronic printing, said method comprising the steps of: applying arelease coating to a first side of a film; applying an application layerto said first side of said film over said release coating; bonding saidfirst side of said film to a first substrate; applying a printablecoating to a second side of said film while said first side of said filmis bonded to said first substrate; curing said film and said substratein an oven while said film is bonded to said first substrate and aftersaid second coating is applied to said second side of said film; andremoving said film from said substrate leaving said metallized layerdeposited on said first substrate and said second coating on said secondside of said film; wherein said application of said printable coating isperformed as an inline part of a transfer lamination process.
 12. Themethod according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:transferring said printable coating from said second side of said filmto a second substrate.
 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:said application layer is a metallized layer.
 14. The method accordingto claim 13, wherein: said printable coating is one of a clay coating,acrylic coating, nitrocellulose coating, polyvinyl coating, urethanecoating or PET base solution coating.
 15. The method according to claim14, wherein: said substrate is one of a paperboard, foil or PETsubstrate.
 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: said printablecoating includes one of a dye and a pigment.
 17. The method according toclaim 12, further comprising the step of: applying at least oneconductive pathway on said printable coating after said printablecoating is transferred to said second substrate.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 17, wherein: the step of applying said at least oneconductive pathway on said printable coating includes printing said atleast one conductive pathway.
 19. The method according to claim 18,further comprising the step of: prior to applying said printable coatingto said second side of said film, applying a second release coating tosaid second side of said film.
 20. A system for transfer lamination of asubstrate, said system comprising: a bonding station for bonding ametallized first side of a film to a first substrate; a first coatingstation for applying a printable coating to a second side of said filmwhile said film is bonded to said first substrate; a curing station forcuring said bonding film and first substrate; a stripping station forremoving said film having said coating on said second side of said filmfrom said first substrate.